Risky Behaviour
by IsabelleRiddle
Summary: for the House Quote Challenge. James/Bellatrix. James is going nuts with Lily's talk of wanting a child so goes out for a drink one night. In the pub he meets someone he didn't expect, but discovers he wants which leads to a pile of lies.


This was written for the House Quote challenge (Great show!).

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own any of the character or the House quotes. :( All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined quotes are from the TV show House M.D, owned by Fox. These aspects do not belong to me but to their respective owners.

**Risky Behaviour**

"I don't know what to do Sirius! Lily just keeps talking about having children and she's been acting so odd since we got married. Marlene died yesterday. All the McKinnon's died yesterday! And Lily thinks now would be a great time to get pregnant, have a kid. What the bloody hell is wrong with her? She'd be in even more danger if she became pregnant. I.. I just don't know what happened to the Lily I fell in love with in school. That Lily was smart, logical, brave and just funny. She's not like that anymore Pads. What happened?" By the time James had finished shouting all of this he was quite out of breath and a sleepy Remus had walked out of one of the bedrooms to stare quietly at his friend who had put Lily on a pedestal.

"Are you done Prongs?"

"Yes, I think so. So, is that all you have to say?"

"No James, but let's let Remus get back to bad. The last night's transformation was particularly bad."

"Sorry Moony, I'm just- "

"I know James, it's okay, I get it. And James, she's probably just scared that she's going to lose you. That's why she wants a baby." With that he walked right back where he came from and within a few minutes soft snoring came from the room.

"Well, there was my advice. So umm… yeah. Maybe you just need to get out one night. Go do something fun and think about it."

"That's not a bad idea, Pads. Thanks."

"Sure thing, after all what are friends for?"

So James took his friend's advice and went out. Never having gone to the Hog's Head before, he went hoping to see no one he recognized or who would recognize him. After an hour he was only buzzed, nothing too serious but enough to take the edge off his worry. Then he saw a familiar person. Tall, lean, with long black hair, and carrying herself as though she expected all to do whatever she wished. This woman reminded him so much of his friend, the friend who he never wanted to know how much he liked. Being just enough tipsy to let logic fly out the window and his Gryffindor daring to take over, he approached her.

"Do you want some company or prefer to play all by yourself Bellatrix?"

"If it isn't James Potter. You have the nerve to approach me? I could kill you right now."

Sliding into the seat across from her he calmly replied, "Yes, I could also kill you right now. But neither you nor I am about to kill the other. Because if we would have we would have done it already. Following me?" her only response was a small smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Good. So now we established that. There's only one logical conclusion to this. You want me."

Now at this she began laughing. "Want you, Potter? The Gryffindor hero? No. I think not. You're no use to me, besides dead. But I prefer to torture a bit, so we can save that for another time when we both have more time to spend. Besides you are a Gryffindor. I will not deign myself to be near one." With that she slid out of her seat and began to walk out.

Not getting the reaction he wanted, he grabbed her arm, pulling her close to him. "So you think that's it. Saying that I'm a Gryffindor and you're Slytherin will stop both of us from being together tonight? Here's your chance to conquer me, and you're refusing. Are you afraid?"

"I am NOT afraid. Especially of an arrogant wimp like you. Arrogance has to be earned. Tell me what you've done to earn yours."

"Then prove it Lestrange. I've proved mine already just by being her with you this way now and with what we are about to do. Really Bellatrix, I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn that you are. You want this. I want this. Let's go. One time offer. No strings attached."

And she stood there. Didn't deny the fact that she wanted him- well that she was curious since he was being so forward or that nothing was going to happen between them.

"Come with me." And just like that James became sober. He realized what he was doing. What he had provoked her into doing. And still he followed at her heels. She led him to a small apartment building and up to a room he knew had to have been hers for a while. The room was painted in such a dark green that in the dim light looked black with small silver roses around the ceiling. A large bed covered in black silk sheets and blankets looked more inviting than the one he went home to every night looked. (well except tonight he thought.)

"Scared Potter?" Bellatrix taunted him as she began undressing.

"You wish." James joined Bellatrix in divesting themselves of their clothing before both wound up tangled together on the bed writhing in ecstasy.

He woke up the following morning with Bellatrix wrapped around him. As quietly as he could he disengaged himself from her, threw his clothes back on, then was going to go to Sirius's apartment to attempt to figure out what the hell he had just done and why but Bellatrix's voice rang out in the silence, "What if we were to make this a few time thing?"

James just smiled and went back to kiss her. "Sounds like heaven." The smile on his face became mirrored in her own. Then he left to talk to his friend about what he had done and the realization what it meant for everyone.

"Pads? Are you here?" James called out as he unlocked and stepped through the front door.

"Yeah, James. What's up?" came the reply as Sirius stepped out in nothing but a pair of loose sleep-pants with his hair tied back from the living room. "James. I realize that I'm a sexy bloke and all, but you might want to stop staring and explain why you're so pale."

"Oh, yeah. I um. Well you see I …"

"Spit it out."

"'redating!" James exclaimed in one breath.

"James," Sirius replied with wide eyes an angry voice, "I know that you did not just tell me that you slept with Bellatrix and now you are dating, correct? 'Cuz that would be stupid. She's the enemy. So you couldn't have said that. Right?" The silence that met Sirius' question was more telling than anything he could have said. "What are you thinking? She could kill you?"

"She could save us. She could give us information. She could be helpful now that she's my girlfriend." James practically pleaded with him to understand.

"So you're using your girlfriend to get information on the other side? Very ethical. Of course, most married men would say that they don't date at all. And they probably wouldn't tell their best friend that they just buggered their cousin who tortured him for not agreeing with her. But I guess we're talking about somebody else."

"There's a thin line between love and hate, Sirius. We just happened to cross it. I wasn't thinking. I was drunk. But the sex, oh Merlin's Beard, it was good. So very good. "

"James, listen to yourself! We're in a war! 'There's a thin line between love and hate', no, there is not a thin line between love and hate. There is, in fact, a Great Wall of China with armed sentries posted every twenty feet between love and hate! They're trying to kill all the good in the world. You can't be with them and with us at the same time!" James had never seen Sirius so mad before, especially at him, it was actually frightening him. He did what seemed instinctual; he went up to him, wrapped his arms around his friend and repeatedly apologized. Soon both boys relaxed and Sirius stepped back to look at James. His friend did not care about sex that much. Hell, he had been practically celibate until Lily would finally sleep with him. "This isn't just about the sex." Sirius began and judging by the look on James face and his hesitant step backwards knew that he was right, "You like her personality. You like that she's conniving. You like that she has no regard for consequences. You like that she can humiliate someone if it serves…" and he took a shocked step backwards, remembering school and how the boys had always been, "Oh my God. You're sleeping with me. She's the closest you'll get to sleeping with me. You like me! And she looks, I look, damn it, we both have the same characteristics. You wanted me so you slept with her. "

"Sirius, I can't help it. I've tried. And I've never done anything. Never tried. I knew you weren't interested. Please forgive me. I don't want to lose what we have." James apologized, scared that he had lost his best friend. Sirius remained glued to the spot in shock for a few minutes before James apologizing walked out and went back home to Lily.

About an hour after he returned home, telling lily that he went to a bar and was too drunk to come home and didn't want to disturb her, he had an owl.

_**James, **_

_**Your wife wants a child. Give it to her. You owe her that much. **_

_**And we're okay. **_

_**Sirius**_

A few months later Lily came into the kitchen practically glowing. "James! Guess what?" she asked him as her hand rubbed her flat stomach. James answered his wife with a big smile and open arms which she ran quickly into.

"Congratulations, Lil. I'm glad you decided to talk me into this. This may be the best thing that has ever happened to me. Just be careful now, okay? I don't want either of you to get hurt."

"I will. This child will be a blessing."

Sirius and Remus walked through the door, snagging some of Lily's chocolate chip cookies before going to them to find why the pair were smiling so much.

"We're having a baby!" James told the two as he watched Sirius relax and smile while Remus congratulated both of them.

"Good man, James." Sirius whispered to him.

"Thanks." he responded back.

"Well congrats to you both, but I need to leave for a bit to do some errands. I'll see you all at the meeting tonight, right?" at their nods he continued, "Good. Ta!"

The errands Sirius had to do? See his cousin. "So Bellatrix, how are you and James doing with this ever growing lie?" he asked as he put his hand on her rounded stomach.

"Lies are like children: they're hand work, but it's worth it because the future depends on them. Both his future and Mine. And we'll keep it that way. Only the three of us will ever know. "

Fin.


End file.
